Fulham are Red and buried in just 14 seconds
IT WAS a game decided in 14 seconds.
That is how long it took between Aleksandar Mitrovic’s ruled-out goal to Mo Salah finding the net at the other end.
Any chance of the bottom club pulling off an upset vanished in the time it took from the assistant referee’s flag to go up to Salah’s strike finding the net.
The debate will rage on about whether Mitrovic was onside.
The Fulham fans going back down the M6 yesterday will no doubt believe their man was level with Liverpool defender Andy Robertson.
TV replays did not make it clear either.
The win took Liverpool to 30 points out of a possible 36 to equal their best start to a Premier League campaign after 12 games.
They were much improved from Tuesday night’s surprise 2-0 Champions League defeat by Red Star Belgrade but they are still a way off their brilliant best.
Fulham were left to lick their wounds and manager Slavisa Jokanovic must be rueing his luck.
If Mitrovic’s goal had stood and the Cottagers taken something from this game, the pressure on him would have been hugely reduced.
They remain bottom with just one win from 12 matches as their Merseyside misery continued, with Fulham having won just once in these parts in 55 attempts.
Yet their travelling fans thought that was going to change when Ryan Sessegnon raced through early on, only for the 18-year-old to fire inches wide after racing clear of Joe Gomez.
Fulham keeper Sergio Rico had earlier kept his side in the match with good saves to deny Salah twice, while Xherdan Shaqiri blasted
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over the crossbar. But at the other end Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson spilled an Andre Schurrle effort as some nerves crept in around Anfield despite their dominance with the ball.
Then, the 14 seconds happened that turned it all, as Mitrovic powered in Tom Cairney’s cross shortly before the break.
While the visitors raged about the official raising his flag, Virgil van Dijk instructed Alisson to take the free-kick quickly.
The Brazilian – with the ball still in motion – played it out to Trent Alexander-Arnold, and his pass put Salah through to score.
Sadio Mane forced Rico into another good save after the break but the second came in style for the Reds.
The impressive Robertson swung in a deep cross and Shaqiri was on hand to turn home with the inside of his right boot on the volley.
Manager Jurgen Klopp revealed Liverpool are in talks with England boss Gareth Southgate over Gomez’s inclusion for this week’s friendly against the USA.
Gomez has been nursing an Achilles injury but played the entire 90 minutes yesterday.
Klopp said: “Joe has played all the games but we are not sure, we are in talks about that.”
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